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June 2010 posts

What if you could build a brand-new hospital from scratch? How would you build it to be the most patient-friendly, forward-thinking facility of its kind? Swedish has that opportunity on this new Issaquah Highlands campus. Here are the top 10 reasons why this facility will be different:

The ketogenic diet is a well-recognized, effective, non-pharmacologic treatment for intractable pediatric epilepsy. The diet, which is high fat and low carbohy­drate, alters the metabolic biochemistry in the brain to utilize fat and ketones, rather than carbohydrates and glucose, as the primary energy source. Meals are care­fully calculated and prepared, accounting for all grams of fat, protein and carbohydrates. A great deal of moti­vation is required from the patient and parents in order to adhere to this strictly cal­culated diet.

Using ketones as the primary fuel source has proven to dramatically reduce the occurrence of seizures. Approximately two-thirds of patients on the ketogenic diet experience 50 percent or greater reduction in seizure frequency and 10-15 percent of patients experience complete seizure freedom. This medically prescribed diet also has neuroprotective effects.

SEATTLE, June 15 2010 -- Construction crews hoist 130,000-pound concrete wall panels into place at Swedish’s new Redmond site at 18100 Union Hill Road. Designed to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the 86,000-square-foot, three-story building will feature a freestanding emergency department with 18 exam rooms, an advanced diagnostic imaging center (including X-ray, mammography, ultrasound, CT scan and MRI) and on-site laboratory services, as well as primary- and specialty-care offices. The emergency department and ambulatory care center is scheduled to be completed this December. For more information, visit www.swedish.org.

Here are a couple renderings of the inside of the medical center. Swedish/Issaquah will not only be one of the most energy-efficient health-care facilities in the country, but a place with a comfortable atmosphere.

The medical center is designed to be a warm, comforting environment emphasizing natural light, spectacular views and healing gardens.

Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI) is moving forward with plans to increase the availability of tertiary neurological care for patients in the Pacific Northwest. "Eight new providers will join the SNI staff in August," noted Marc Mayberg, MD, co-director of SNI, "adding specialty care in neuro-otology, functional radiosurgery, and neuropsychiatry, and expanding our existing programs in multiple sclerosis, stroke, neuromuscular disease, pediatric neurology, and general neurology." An upcoming issue of the SNI newsletter, BrainWaves, will provide more detail about these new providers and programs. Stay tuned for updates.